110: hunting

The banquet drew to a smooth close, without any accidents or unpleasantness.

The crystal chandeliers still shimmered with light, guests gathered in small groups for low-voiced conversations, and waiters moved effortlessly through the crowd with drinks. On the surface, it appeared to be a high-society feast that had reached a Perfection conclusion.

But beneath the proper smiles and polite greetings, silent undercurrents were surging. Everyone left with something different in their eyes—ambition and calculation stirred by the bait of "immortality."

Doma walked through the crowd, heading straight for Yukinoshita Haruno.

"Young Miss Yukinoshita," he said, a habitual elegant smile on his lips, his voice impeccably gentle. "I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you to accompany me for a part of the way?"

An indescribable brilliance flickered in his eyes. It wasn't the usual infatuation a man has for a woman, but more like a connoisseur who had finally found a coveted collectible, or a hunter locking onto long-premeditated prey—composed, precise, and determined.

Just as Haruno was about to agree—

Yukino quietly tugged at her skirt, her fingertips conveying a clear intent to stop her.

At the same time, Kasumigaoka Utaha approached with steady steps, interjecting with a clear and polite voice, "Sister Haruno, the Madam has been waiting outside for a long time."

She stopped perfectly between the two, meeting Doma's gaze calmly, as if she were merely delivering an ordinary message.

This act gave Haruno a reason not to go without openly bruising the other party's Face.

Doma chuckled at her words, but no ripples appeared in the depths of his eyes.

"That is a pity then." He nodded composedly and turned elegantly, his gaze already precisely cast toward the other side of the venue—

To the lady leaning by the window. She had chestnut-colored long hair and a gentle, dignified appearance, possessing even more of the composure that comes with age than Haruno. Doma's gaze upon her was like discovering a treasure even more worth collecting; it still held scrutiny, but with an added touch of fresh interest.

Yukino watched Doma's retreating back and frowned slightly. "Look, Sister, there's definitely something wrong with that man. When his approach failed, he immediately locked onto a new target."

Haruno smiled nonchalantly, elegantly swirling her empty wine glass with her fingertips. "This society is just that realistic. It seems the Shiina Family is about to catch the express train this time."

"You're not feeling regretful, are you?" Yukino glanced sideways.

"How could I be?" Haruno chuckled, her gaze sweeping over her sister and Kasumigaoka. "I should thank you two for helping me out of that situation."

To the side, Kasumigaoka Utaha looked grave, lowering her voice. "There's an indescribable sense of dissonance about that man... I feel it's best not to have any deep contact with him."

A faint, almost imperceptible scent, sweet to the point of being unsettling, seemed to linger in the air.

Haruno nodded, her tone becoming a bit more affectionate. "Shiyu, thank you for your hard work today."

Kasumigaoka shook her head slightly. "It was a task assigned by my mentor, so naturally, I had to do my best. However, everything went smoothly tonight; no emergencies occurred."

"After all, it was a banquet personally planned by the Prime Minister, so the security level was naturally extraordinary," Haruno smiled. "I heard that to ensure nothing went wrong, the Special Affairs Department was specifically asked to assist. Did you notice any of their people tonight?"

Kasumigaoka shrugged helplessly. "Even if I did run into them, I wouldn't recognize them. They don't exactly wear their badges on their chests."

Haruno was amused by her words. "Don't worry, once you become a full-time staff member in the future, you might be able to recognize them all."

Yukino gently tugged at Haruno's sleeve, her tone urgent. "Sister, Shiha-senpai, can we talk about these things on the way back? Isn't Mother already waiting for us?"

Her gaze inadvertently swept across the surroundings; she was clearly uncomfortable with staying in this venue of hypocrisy.

Haruno sighed softly, reaching out to tidy the stray hairs at Yukino's temples, her tone helpless yet soft. "Yukino, you'll have to learn to adapt to such occasions eventually. I can't always stand in front of you."

She paused, and seeing her sister purse her lips in silence, she broke into a smile and naturally took Yukino's arm. "Alright, alright, let's not talk about it. Let's go find Mother first."

As she turned, she gave Kasumigaoka an apologetic look, and the three of them walked toward the exit together.

The two sisters walked through the thinning crowd to their mother. Madam Yukinoshita maintained perfect poise, a smile on her lips, but only Haruno keenly caught the fleeting gravity in her eyes.

The limousine drove smoothly away from the venue. Only after the private cabin had blocked out all outside views did Haruno speak softly, "Mother, you seem to have something on your mind?"

Madam Yukinoshita gazed at the passing night scenery outside the window. After a moment of silence, she finally gave a faint smile, pulling back all her emotions until they vanished without a trace. "It's nothing. Let's go."

On the other side, Doma elegantly extended his hand.

That woman with chestnut-colored long hair—the Young Miss of the Shiina Family, Shiina Sayo—placed her fingertips upon it without any hesitation.

"With pleasure." A perfectly measured curve rose at the corners of her lips. From beginning to end, she did not look at her husband nearby, as if he simply did not exist.

At the other end of the venue, Mr. Shiina watched this scene expressionlessly, calmly sipping champagne. Their relationship had long since dwindled to being a couple in name only. To him, using this woman who shared his bed but not his heart to trade for an opportunity for the Family's advancement was a more than worthwhile deal.

The clamor of the banquet was left far behind as the luxury car glided silently into the night, finally stopping before a secluded mansion.

Shiina Sayo sat upright on the edge of the bed, her posture still maintaining the elegance of a daughter from a prestigious Family, though a subtle excitement flickered in her eyes. She gently smoothed her skirt, her voice carrying a well-measured expectation. "Mr. Doma, you said you have a way to restore youth. What do I need to do? I am willing to pay anything..."

Before she could finish, her fingertips had already brushed over her gown, only to be lightly pressed down by a hand wearing a glove with a lotus pattern.

The air had become thick at some point, a sweet fragrance lingering imperceptibly. She saw the elegant smile on Doma's lips slowly changing—it was no longer the perfect curve of a social setting, but a kind of almost compassionate, heart-palpitating arc.

"Young Miss Shiina." His voice was still gentle, but it carried a strange resonance. "You will understand very soon."

Sayo suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. She tried to lift her hand, but found her fingertips could no longer move. Those well-maintained hands were now trembling uncontrollably.

Doma lightly raised his hand, his fingertips brushing past her hair and stopping before those red lips. His movements remained elegant, as if he were appreciating a work of art nearing completion.

"What a beautiful obsession..." he sighed softly. Those human eyes slowly opened, revealing the rainbow-colored, crystalline pupils like stained glass beneath. An eerie light swirled within them. "The fear of fading youth, the longing for eternal beauty... such pure and intense emotions are truly the most delicious of vintages."

Sayo's consciousness was like a thread being pulled away, merging into the sweet air. The last thing she perceived was a slight itch on her neck, as if an ice butterfly had landed there.

Then, a bone-chilling and pure coldness pierced through her.

She felt her life being pulled away bit by bit, like silk being stripped from a cocoon. Her body felt so light she was about to float; even the strength to struggle had become a luxury.

In the silent room, a faint sound suddenly echoed.

At first, it sounded like silk being gently torn, then it changed to the subtle crackling of melting ice and snow, and finally, it turned into a kind of indescribable chewing sound—elegant and slow, as if savoring a peerless delicacy. The sound wasn't loud, yet it made the air freeze, and even the path of the moonlight shining in trembled slightly.

Doma watched all this quietly, rainbow-colored light swirling in his crystalline pupils. The compassionate curve remained on his lips, as if he were witnessing a solemn ceremony.

After a moment, all sounds returned to silence.

He straightened up, a fresh smear of crimson staining the corner of his mouth, blooming like a blood-plum on his pale skin. He extended the tip of his tongue, elegantly wiping the corner of his mouth, taking that touch of blood into his mouth to savor it carefully, as if relishing the aftertaste of a rare vintage.

"As long as you become one with me..." His voice was as tender as a lover's whisper, yet it made even the moonlight freeze. "The beauty, youth, and immortality you sought... haven't you already obtained them in the most perfect way? This is the blessing of paradise."

The moonlight was desolate, illuminating his profile where holiness and evil intertwined. On the edge of the bed, only an empty, finely-crafted gown remained, collapsed softly. Among the folds of the skirt, a final trace of the owner's unwilling presence seemed to linger, swaying gently in the breeze.

And that nauseatingly sweet fragrance had quietly settled, merging into every inch of the mansion's air, becoming a silent epitaph after the eternal feast.

If the Prime Minister's extravagant banquet and the undercurrents of "immortality" behind it had only quietly surged within the small circle of high society, then the storm that recently exploded on the internet was a ruthless hurling of the bizarre truth at the stunned general public.

It was as if overnight, every major video platform and social media outlet had been tagged with #RealRecord, #SupernaturalFootage, and #TheWorldHasChanged.

A shaky cell phone video showed that in a remote village, the night was torn apart by firelight and roars. Bloated, grey-skinned humanoid monsters rampaged between earthen walls, followed by the tense figures of soldiers and spitting tongues of fire. The footage ended abruptly with a shrill howl that was definitely not human, leaving the screen full of static. The headline was shocking: [Live! Unknown biological riot in XX Village, "purged" by the army].

Another video captured by a dashcam was even more eerie: the originally cloudless clear sky suddenly erupted with thunder without warning. It wasn't natural thunder, but a rhythmic booming that sounded like the roar of a giant beast. The sky turned pitch black as if ink had been poured over it, and within the rolling dark clouds, the outline of an unimaginably huge creature—resembling a whale yet covered in scales—flickered past, accompanied by countless fine streaks of lightning. The uploader captioned it: [The sky has split! Did I film a Dragon? Or a God?]

There were also even more disturbing static images: deer carcasses torn to shreds by some force in the depths of the forest, their wounds covered in ominous ice crystals; and animal mummies left like empty shells in the corners of urban alleys, as if they had been sucked dry by something.

However, alongside these terrifying scenes, there was also a glimmer of exhilarating "hope."

In a shot captured by a high-magnification lens, atop a snow-capped mountain peak, a blurred figure dressed in ancient attire stood suspended in the air. The long sword in their hand swung out, producing not Sword Qi, but a brilliant torrent of energy like an aurora, instantly vaporizing a distorted flying monster in the sky. [Sword Immortal appearance? The ancient power protecting humanity!]

Another cell phone video from the streets of Kyoto, though of poor quality, clearly recorded a man dressed in Onmyouji Kariginu. After forming hand seals and chanting, he summoned pure spiritual power to purify and disperse a mass of shadows emerging from an ancient building.

Truth and falsehood were hard to distinguish; panic and curiosity coexisted.

Basically, as long as one was connected to the internet, there was no escaping this surging wave. Group chats, forums, and conversations between relatives and friends were filled with speculation, fear, excitement, and confusion. Old perceptions were being overturned; a world that had been hidden behind a veil for thousands of years was forcibly crashing into the vision of ordinary people in the most chaotic and unadorned way.

However, facing this information tsunami sweeping across the Neon internet, enough to overturn modern scientific understanding, the most unsettling thing was not the bizarre images themselves, but a bottomless silence coming from the pinnacle of power.

Official institutions had collectively lost their voices.